Mumbai: Corporators, cutting across parties lines, strongly demanded the setting up of a panel of BMC engineers for the audit works for various projects, at the standing committee meeting held on Friday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) spends crores of rupees on appointing consultants for the audit works of various projects, but still the project doesn’t last for the stipulated time period with various accidents taking place. Despite spending crores for appointing auditors no concrete results are seen. After the collapse of the Himalaya foot overbridge, it was found that the audit report was not proper and in the accident seven people lost their lives and more than 30 were injured. The question of safety of all the city and suburban bridges arose with structural audits being conducted again. The audit report stated 28 bridges were in a dangerous state, out of which eight has been razed and 21 are yet to be demolished.
Even as the bridges were being demolished or closed, traffic-related problems are being experienced. Congress corporator, Asif Zakaria, accused that there is a lobby of BMC engineers and consultants who work hand-in-hand by giving out contracts to consultants and in the process looting the BMC. “BMC should take a relook at the appointment of consultants, or a panel should be set up of our engineers and as for the third party audit BMC can approach IITians. After the collapse of the Himalaya bridge those bridges which were earlier declared safe were suddenly declared as dangerous by the auditors. Now after the closure of some bridges the BMC has no reply about when the reconstruction will be completed,” said Asif Zakaria.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) group leader, Rakhi Jadhav, pointed out the irresponsible attitude of the BMC engineers and the consultants. “BMC has suddenly closed down the bridges at Ghatkopar, Juhu and many other places due to which people are facing heavy traffic problems. They should have to find some options before the closure as the people will have to suffer inconveniences for the next 5-6 months,” she said.
